What happens in the initial consultation?

The initial free 15 minute telephone consultation is an opportunity for you and Dr Yasmeen Jaina to speak, develop an overview of the issues that have brought you to therapy and decide what might be the best way to proceed in order to resolve them. Dr Yasmeen Jaina will ask questions about what you’re struggling with and also about other relevant areas of your life. It is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you might have about the therapy. After the initial consultation, some time will be set aside towards to review, and to see if a booking a full session would be the best next steps. If so, during the first session of psychological therapy, the number, frequency and general aim of the sessions will be agreed on. Alternatively, a referral to another professional might be discussed if this is needed. 

What if I’m not sure whether or not psychological therapy is right for me?

If you’re not sure whether or not you need psychological therapy at this time, do consider a short 15 minute initial consultation as there is no obligation to commit to a course of treatment. A one-off 15 minute consultation can, in its own right, help to clarify things and may point to several courses of action that can be taken to resolve any difficulties. Dr Yasmeen Jaina is always happy to discuss how she may be able to help. 

How long do I need to come for therapy?

People come to therapy for variable amounts of time and you and Dr Yasmeen Jaina will come to an agreement about this in the first session. Some people come to work on a specific goal and this can be achieved in as little as six to ten sessions. Other people come for a more longstanding problems and prefer to come for ongoing therapy. In this case, you and Dr Yasmeen Jaina will review the therapy regularly.

How often do I need to come for therapy?

Usually, people come once a week at a regular time. However, this is not always possible or necessary, and some people might find that twice weekly, fortnightly or monthly sessions work better for them. It is generally more productive to meet more often at the start of the therapy and to increase the gaps between sessions as things start to feel better and more stable. You and Dr Yasmeen Jaina will discuss the timing of sessions in the initial consultation and this can be reviewed as the therapy progresses.

How long is a session?

Sessions last for fifty minutes of the hour. This means that if your session is at 7pm, it will end at 7:50pm. 

What if I need to re-arrange or cancel a session?

Therapy works best if you attend appointments and give plenty of notice if you’re not able to come. Sessions can be re-arranged with sufficient notice and if there is an alternative space available that week. If you and Dr Yasmeen Jaina contract for regular sessions (which is highly recommended at the start of therapy), she will not give your allocated time slot to anyone else. As such, sessions cancelled within 48 hours of the appointment time will be charged for in full. 

How do I find out more or make an appointment?

If you’d like to know more, you can email info@theconsultantpsychologist.com

What is psychology?

It can be confusing to make sense of the different types of psychiatry, psychotherapy, counselling or psychology available. Psychologists are both scientists of brain, body and behaviour and also therapists. We are trained to help people to understand and change the areas of themselves and their lives that are causing them suffering or constraint. The key difference between psychologists and other practitioners lies in the kind of training which in the UK must be via an accredited Doctoral Programme alongside holding therapeutic philosophy and knowledge base. 

Dr Yasmeen Jaina is a Chartered Psychologist, this title reflects the highest level of psychological knowledge and expertise as recognised by the British Psychological Society. As such, registered psychologists in the UK are trained across many settings and in many modalities. They are also required to continue training throughout their careers. This allows them to be able to create individualised courses of therapy for each and every person, according to their needs, interests and very importantly, to use only the most effective types of interventions. It also allows them to work skillfully with the full range of difficulties that cause people to suffer: from day-to-day worries to complex psychological conditions.